Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Respects
King Charles has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote the King in a tribute shared via social media.
He added, "The atrocities that she endured as a teenager are difficult to fathom and yet she dedicated the remainder of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Committed to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being apprehended and sent to the infamous Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.
Endurance and Loss
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both died in the camps.
After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—wed Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive internment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Legacy
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from happening again.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold over 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often journeyed across Europe, addressing young people in particular and promoting a message of tolerance.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Every individual you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
Subsequent Years
In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved to London to study photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had escaped to Palestine during the war.
The couple settled in London and became UK citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
